Improvement in grain-tallies



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W. P. SHEETS. Grain-Tally.

' Patented July 22,1879.

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Grain-Tally.

No. 217,824. Patented July 22,1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM I". SHEETS, OF PRINCETON, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONF-HALF HIS RIGHT TO S. D. ARNOLD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-TALLIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,824, dated July22, 1879; application filed February 21, 1879.

To all. ielioin. it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, \VM. P. SHEETS, 0f Princeton, in the county ot` Mercer and Sta-te of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Grain Chute and Register; and I hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part oi this specification, in which- Figui-e1 is an elevation ot my device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the saine. Fig.

l shows the registering and counting apparatus with the tace removed. Fig. 4 shows the registeriiig-wlieels separated.

My invention rela-tes to that class of graincliutes wherein the chutev isbifuroated and operates with a shifting diaphragm and a countingregister, the shifting of the diaphragm moving the register; and my inveii tion has for its object to reduce the whole apparatus to one integral device and insure a greater certainty of action.

My invention consists in placing the counting mechanism directly on the surface of the chute and connecting the counting apparatus and the shifting diaphragm by means ot a slotted lever and an intermittent crank-lever operating the diaphragm.

My invention also consists in a device to prevent the disks oi" the counting apparatus moving when the moving pawl passes over the iace to enter a new depression and feed the dii-ik ioi'ward one count.

In order that those skilled in the art may make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A is the main chute, rectangular in cross-section and having its lower end flaring in outline. Inside the chute, at the base, is a conical partition, Ii, extendingr up tothe point wlicie the trough begins to iiare. At the peak ot' partition B a crankrod, n., passes through the trough l'roin tront to rear, ami rigidly fastened thereto is the long vertical diaphragm C, extending twothirds oi" the distance to the top of the chute.

liy means ol' the craiik-rod a the diaphragm (l can be vihrated back and forward, orratlier l'rom side to side, until its upper edge strikes the sides of the chute. The pyraniidal partition B forms the lower portion of the chute into two smaller chutes, e c. These smaller chutes are made to connect with the main chute, first one and then the other, by shifting the diaphragm() from side to side. Tiiegraiii is allowed to run through chute c into a halfhiishcl or other measure until the measure is full, when the operator, by means of the crank, suddenly shifts the diaphragm and directs the course'of the grain through e' and to the measure at its mouth.

The following means are used to shift the diaphragm and tuin the countin,f.,f-rcgiste` at the same time: The end otl the craiik-rod a. enters a slot, w, in a vibrating handle. E, which is pivoted at the center of the dial-indicator and works in a slot in the casiii g covering the register. The pivoted end ot handle E has fixed to it a plate, marked i', one half ot which is brought into view at cach alternate stroke ot the lever, so as to count every alternate lialtbushel, supposing a halt'- bushel measure is in ilse. The count is made by means ot' a spring-catch, y, which is fastened to handle E and drops into depressions z z in disks .I J K, which are pivoted at i and move coiiceiitiically. At each stroke of handle E the diaphragm is vibrated, and at the saine time spring-catch feeds plato I around one division, and makes a count by displaying the proper figure through a transparent portion, 1e, of the casing. Each couiitiiig-wlieel has, hesidcs the depressions, an opening entirely through it, as seen at z', and this is so arranged that when the unit comit has passed to 9 on the next stroke the spring-catch passes clear through plate I aiul engages in one ofthe depressions iii plate J, moving both plates i'orward one point to indicate the count of tens.

llie operation is substantially the sinne in the count of hundreds, the spring-catch passing entirely through plates l J and engaging in a depression in plate K, allot them feeding forward at once. A spring-retaining pawl, L, drops into the depressions on the outer disk, I, and prevents any reverse movement ot' the disk when the spriii '-catcli y is moving over its iace to take hold in a new depression.

In starting the count the three disks are moved by menns of holes z' z' and any sha-rp instrumentinserted therein until the zeroes are in line. rlhen on eneh alternate stroke ofthe lever e digit is moved forward, so as t0 be observed through the opening w on the other stroke the one-half on plate 1'.

I ein aware that heretofore bifureeted chutes provided with :t shiftingdiaphragmhave been used in combination with e counting device; mid I mn also aware :i counting device has been made of :i series of plates having depressions ftnd perform-ions, said plates being fed forward by ny pitwl; hence I do not elnim either combine-tion ot' devices; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let'ers Patent, is-

A counting-register arranged upon n grainehnte wit-h a shifting diaphragm, C, and provided with a. series of counting-disks having depressions and perforations, in combination with the crank -lever a, lever E, having the slot fr, the feeding-paw] y, the spring-detent- L, and rear screw-clamp festenin g, z", whereby the register is secured in position, all eenstrueted and :irren ged as shown and described.

WM. P. SHEETS.

XVit-nesses L. W. BRANNON, J. A. THOMPSON. 

